


Sweet Words, for a Day You Needed Them

by Writerleft



Series: Comes Marching Home [43]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 10:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16448051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerleft/pseuds/Writerleft
Summary: If any force can transcend time,It's loveReaching backReassuring you in your darkest daysThat it's still there, up ahead, waiting to be found.





	Sweet Words, for a Day You Needed Them

“Welcome home!” Korra chimed from the kitchen, as Asami set her briefcase by the door. The apartment smelled of stir fry--somehow, the days Korra was home, she timed her dinner prep perfectly within a few minutes of Asami’s arrival. Asami suspected her secretary called ahead--some days, it was like she had two wives, not just the one. 

This was a day where she was thankful for it. 

The meal was too close to done for Korra to leave the stove, so Asami went to her for their customary welcome-home kiss. They’d never discussed the habit, of course, but all the same it was the first priority as soon as they were both home for the day. 

Korra came away from the kiss frowning. “What’s wrong?” 

Asami shook her head. “Nothing.”

“You’ve been crying.” 

Asami looked at the vegetables, their bright colors, their mouth-watering aroma, and made a show of savoring it. “This smells delicious.”

“Asami.” 

She sighed. “I’m fine. I just… stumbled into a memory, today.” 

Korra set down her spatula, pulling Asami into a hug. Asami returned it, but then, Korra didn’t let go. She held her, and held her, until the customary polite-hug period had lapsed and her body had to realize no, this person wasn’t letting go, this warmth and these comforting arms were here to support her, without question, without fail. 

Tension slumped out of Asami as she finally relaxed into the embrace, pressing her fists into Korra’s back. 

Asami was crying again, though not quite for the same reason she had been back at her office. Then again, maybe it was the same reason, in a way. But once she felt looser, less held together with tension and momentum alone, she let Korra go, wiping her face. 

Korra cradled her cheek, helping Asami wipe away her tears. “Need to talk about it?” 

Asami nodded. “I would like to. But… part of this is the smoke coming off of dinner.” 

“Wha--oh, heck!” 

Asami stepped back, stifling a giggle as Korra rescued dinner. She went to her briefcase, retrieving the old letter that had set her into this funk. She set it on their dining table, then helped Korra ferry dinner over. 

“What’s that?” Korra asked, nodding at the paper. 

“We could eat first,” Asami suggested. 

Korra shook her head. “You’re more important than food.”

Asami knew enough about Korra to know that that was no small compliment. “That’s…” she cleared her throat. “Maybe read it while we eat.”

Korra relented, unfolding the paper and managing to devour her entire plate absentmindedly in the time it took Asami to savor a third of her own. Slightly singed or not, it was delicious as always--and she wasn’t thinking that just because of how much she loved the cook. 

“When did you write this?” Korra asked quietly, taking in the letter slowly. 

Asami shook her head. “After you wrote back to me, I think. I honestly wrote quite a few letters like that…” 

“‘I love you,’” Korra said, and a moment later, Asami realized she was reading her own words back to her. “‘I love the way your smile lights up your face like a sunrise. I love the way your hair dances as you fight, the way you exist fully as yourself in every given moment. I love your voice, but then, I hate that I feel like I’m forgetting it.’” Korra winced. “Asami… how many of these do you have?” 

She shook her head. “I didn’t think I had any. I was a bit embarrassed by them, at the time, usually I tore them up when I was done. I think, I needed to vent or something?” Asami shrugged. “I must’ve been interrupted before I could get rid of this one, I found it in an old file today. And it just…” her voice cracked, but she carried on. “It just… made me remember, how lonely I was.” 

Korra reached across the table, clasping her hand. Asami smiled, letting herself cry. “And how happy, how incredibly lucky and happy I am now.” 

Korra set the letter down. “You think you’re the lucky one?” 

Asami nodded. “You’re just so… kind and caring and  _ beautiful _ … you do so many little gestures for me, I probably don’t even notice half of them.” 

“Doing it so you don’t realize it is half the fun,” Korra said, raising Asami’s fingers up to kiss them. 

Asami pressed her free hand against her chest, just above her heart. “You make me feel... “ She shook her head, smiling, mystified at her own loss of words. “You make me smile, even when I really don’t want to. You brighten my days, warm my nights, and open up the stubbornest jars in the kitchen.” 

“Ah, the truth comes out,” Korra chuckled. “I was wondering what sealed the deal."

“You make dumb little jokes,” Asami said, squeezing Korra’s hand. “The kind only you and your father laugh at.” 

“You laugh too!” 

“I laugh because you’re happy.” 

“Well… I love that you laugh at my dumb jokes,” Korra said. “I love how you’ve been through so much, yet still maintained the kindest heart I’ve ever met. I love how  _ your _ hair makes my heart flutter whenever the wind hits it. I love that fruity, tangy smell of yours.” 

“You realize that’s just my soap, right? That, and engine grease?” 

“Nope, that’s how you sweat,” Korra said. “100% pure Asami smell.” 

“Well, I enjoy the smell of your sweat,” Asami said, a finger tracing the back of Korra’s hand. “Especially when I’m the one that  _ got  _ you sweaty.” 

Korra snorted. “Who is the lame joke person now?” 

Asami straightened, feigning offense. “Why, to insinuate I was joking! You uncouth Southern ruffian!”

Korra winked at her, and they shared a laugh. 

Asami sighed, reaching across the table and taking Korra’s other hand. “I love how you can make me feel young, still.”

“We  _ are _ young still.” 

“Maybe,” Asami said. “So much has happened, though, so many things… you say you love how I haven’t let my heart grow hard, but… life has taken its toll on me. On both of us.” 

“I know,” Korra sighed, then stood, pulling Asami gently up with her, and wrapping an arm around her as they moved to the sofa nearby. “I know it has. But it seems like, every time you meet a challenge that should destroy you, you just stiffen your spine and kick it in the face. Even if it costs you. You don’t hesitate, not one second.” 

“I’ve made mistakes--”

“Tsh, who hasn’t? I have. Aang did. And every other Avatar all the way back to Wan. But you know what you do? You correct them. You own up to them, and you do everything you can to fix it. You inspire the hell out of me, you know that?” 

Asami shook her head, but Korra took hold of her chin, locking eyes with her sternly. 

“Say it, Asami. Say, ‘I am an inspiration.’” 

“I… I am an inspiration.” 

“‘I deserve to be loved.’” 

“I deserve to be loved.”

“I am Korra’s forever girl.” 

Asami quirked an eyebrow, smirking. Really?

Korra inclined her head, raising an eyebrow. Yes, really. Say it. 

“I am Korra’s forever girl. And she is mine.” 

“Damned straight,” Korra said, closing the distance for a quick kiss. “Who else will open your jars?” 

“Who else will keep your secrets?” Asami asked

Korra frowned. “What secrets?” 

Asami smirked. “Spiders.” 

Korra narrowed her eyes. “Low blow, Asami. It’s not like it’s my fault those little creeps don’t live in the antarctic. Nobody ever trained me to deal with them.” 

“You don’t need training to deal with spiders! You need a rolled up newspaper!” 

“Which you were trained to use!” 

“Just because I’m so often  _ in _ the newspaper doesn’t make me more proficient  _ using _ the newspaper.” 

“Well… I’m just saying, you adapted better to the critters back home than I did to big city life up here.” 

“Are you kidding? I nearly froze to death wearing seven layers.” 

Korra cleared her throat, then glanced up at the narwhalrus tusk they’d won during their engagement hunt, mounted along the full length of the wall above them.” 

Asami smiled. “Well… we didn’t exactly use a rolled up newspaper for that.” 

“Seriously, though,” Korra said, tucking her legs under her and facing Asami, “the way you can adapt to  _ anything _ ? I swear, if I told you we needed to go fight somebody on the moon, you’d have me up there in three days.” 

“You know, you joke, but I do have some ideas.” 

“I bet you do,” Korra grinned, then tapped Asami on the nose. 

Asami crinkled it in response. “Why do you do that?” 

“Because your nose is cute and you’re cute when you crinkle it.” 

“Are you saying I’m not cute all the time?” 

“Nope,” Korra said. “Normally you’re elegant and beautiful. And usually drop dead sexy. It’s all far too intimidating for cuteness.” 

“Well… perhaps I only feel secure enough around you to be cute. Whereas you, you feel secure enough to be cute all the time.” 

“Hey!” Korra put on a stern face, which was frankly adorable. “I’m a fierce warrior! I’m not cute.” 

“Korra, you’re  _ precious _ .” 

Korra crossed her arms, sulking back against the couch. “Good thing I love you enough to put up with such abuse.” 

“I have it on good authority that I’m your forever girl,” Asami said, leaning her head on Korra’s shoulder. “So it’s going to be your burden to bear, I’m afraid.” 

Korra sulked for three hundredths of a second longer before wrapping an arm around Asami. They stared across the room together, souls intertwined but each in her own head. 

Asami felt centered, grounded. Korra was right about her, in a lot of ways--she always pushed through difficulties to do what she knew needed to happen. As to whether that was strength… Asami wasn’t so sure. To accept that a course of action was going to cost you, and go ahead with it, perhaps looked like a brave thing, but compared to living with herself afterwards if she didn’t do the right thing… that was a cost all its own, and a far steeper one. 

“What’re you thinking about?” Korra asked. 

Asami shrugged. “Just… life. And how much easier mine is, with you in it.” 

“Because I make you dinner?” 

“Because you make me saner.”

Korra sighed, but let the silence linger. She didn’t press, but she left the space for Asami to elaborate. That wasn’t always an easy thing to do--but somehow, Korra had learned exactly when she needed it. 

“I…” Asami started, thinking back to the letter on their dining table. “I was so lonely, while you were away. I worked. That’s really all I did, and I never, not for one moment, let myself stop. I was desperate to, sometimes, I think. It would’ve been so easy to just… let it all go. To support myself with… with booze, or sex, or who knows what else. Anything to escape, for just a little while. Anything to numb myself.” 

“But… you didn’t.” 

Silence stretched. It had been a long, long three years. “I… may have had a few weekends, here and there, where I may have. Those were the scariest times of all… I hated myself for them, because I knew how easy it would be to escape the same way the next weekend, then the next, then during the week… I’ve seen it happen. To other executive, politicians, people with a lot of stress and nobody supporting them. Part of me thought it would happen to me, eventually. Inevitably. Maybe I was pinning all my hopes on you, even then. If you hadn’t loved me back…” 

Korra half-stood, moving to the end of the couch and guiding Asami to lay flat, with her head in Korra’s lap. Asami closed her eyes as Korra quietly ran her fingers through her hair. “That’s one thing that does bug me about you, Sparks. You have all the compassion in the world, for everybody except yourself.”

“You’re one to talk.” 

“Maybe so,” Korra chuckled. “I’ve tried to get better with it.” 

“And you have,” Asami said. She opened her eyes, staring up in to her wife’s beautiful, beautiful face. “More than anyone I’ve ever met, Korra. You’ve grown so much, taught yourself so much. That’s why  _ you’re  _ my inspiration. Because you’re not just making a better world, you’re making a better  _ you.  _ Which helps me… be a better me, too.” 

Korra smiled down at her. “So… what was it about the letter that hit you so hard?” 

“I think… that was so long ago now, it almost was another person. Another Asami. I remember how I felt, but it’s distant enough now that I can just… allow myself to feel sad, for how alone she was. I was. I couldn’t feel it at the time. 

“Now I just… wish I could go back."

"Back in time?" 

Asami nodded. "Just... somehow and let her know… let her know that it wasn’t hopeless. That the dark days wouldn’t last forever. That--”

“That somebody would smile like the sunrise, every time they saw you?” 

Asami looked up at Korra, and smiled. She saw the sunrise reflected in Korra’s eyes. “You’re a tremendous dork,” Asami said, “and I love you.” 

“You’re a beautiful nerd,” Korra replied, “and I love you, too.”

 

\-- 

 

The next day, when Asami got to work and open her briefcase, one of the files was somehow upside down, and spilled its contents all over the floor. Asami sighed, gathering it all up, then frowned at an envelope. What was this doing among bridge construction proposals? 

She flipped it over. It had her name on it, her old office address, and, oddly enough, a year. 

She smiled, and sat down, disordered file forgotten. She gently peeled the envelope back, and read: 

 

_ Dear Past Asami, _

_ I'm sorry this letter took so long to find you. Dictators and hallucinations and spirits of ultimate evil wreak havoc on the postal system. You know how it is.  _

_ I'm also sorry that things are so lonely for you. That girl out there, the one you love, she's lonely too, and every time your heart aches, every beat of every day, Korra feels the same.  _

_ She thinks of you a lot, that girl. Past Korra. Between the pain and all the work, when she's not feeling crushed by feelings of failure--or sometimes, particularly then, her mind turns to you. How much she misses you. How much she wants to be somebody worthy of you. How she's desperate to return, and scared to.  _

_ She doesn't know yet how easy it will be. How smoothly you will find each other again, and pick up right where you'd left off, because your hearts already share the same rhythm.  _

_ Future Korra wishes she could tell her--Past Korra, that is--not to wait. That Past Asami doesn't need perfection, doesn't care about all the things the world has in store.  _

_ She misses her friend. That is, you do, Past Asami. (Pronouns are getting weird.) _

_ The point is, though... you do find each other. And you need to know--and Future Asami needs to remember, too, and heck, Future Korra needs to be reminded from time to time, that together, the two of you make your own happily ever after.  _

_ Because that's the glorious thing of it. All the stories of daring do, all the heroic tales use 'happily ever after' as an ending.  _

_ But it's not. It's a beginning.  _

_ When she writes this, Future Korra has been with Future Asami now longer than she was away. And the two of you have many, many, MANY years to come, too! It may not make your days any less lonely there in the past, my sad, young, friend, but if you ever wonder what gives you the strength to make it through one more day--that is it. Future you and future me, sending love back your way, like a beacon.  _ _ A light in the dark to guide your way home.   _

_ Take care of yourself, Past Asami. You need to make it through safe and sound, so Future Asami can go on a surprise lunch date with her wife.  _

_ I love you, Asami Sato.  _

_\--Asami's Forever Girl._

**Author's Note:**

> [Visit me on my tumblr! Say hi! ](https://threehoursfromtroy.tumblr.com/)
> 
> This one goes out to korrasforevergirl -- you've done a lot for this fandom, and you deserve some happiness of your own. It'll come in its time--but for now, love yourself, friend. <3


End file.
